lol...no. Is the fire Marshal reasonable or are they nibbling you to death with ducks? If they are cool generally then talk to them about the vortex being on an emergency shut off, so if alarm goes off it shuts off and add emergency lights inside of it. Its a 20ft tunnel straight shot, I would think one on either side would do the trick. Where are you?
Or ask if you can drop a sidewall sprinkler at each end- I think the NFPA says you have to drop one if you block 4ft of space, a side wall could solve that but an engineer would most likely have to approve it.
Allen H

The inspector is very cool and work quite well with us . This is the third year out of the last four that he has inspected us and this is the first year he has brought it up. and yes what he is proposing is one head mounted on the end upper wall to the vortex shooting back into the tunnel . The difficult thing is every sprinkler company that comes out has there own idea of what they think will work and they all have to remind me that they are inspectors to. and these guys who do this work must be union because there prices are crazy...... o well got to laugh crying wont work if ownly boobs maybe that could get the price down. HA HA

iTS A NEVER ENDING FIGHT WITH THEM. Why is it cool the first year and you never touch it then next year its a prob. Just makes me so mad.

Because a new code may have come up or they didn't see something from the last year's inspection. Or they got burned in the past for letting something fly. Or they didn't get laid the night before. There are many variables with inspectors.

I operated my Dungeon Ride for 8 years.
Not till the 7th year did I get dinged for my ride inspector for not having plastic sleeve cover for any flourescent lights over the path of patrons. I've had these fixtures since day one and all of a sudden they needed plastic sleeve covers.
I just said, "yes sir I'll get that fixed" and move on.

Because a new code may have come up or they didn't see something from the last year's inspection. Or they got burned in the past for letting something fly. Or they didn't get laid the night before. There are many variables with inspectors.

THIS ^^^

We're on good terms with our county fire marshall. He came through this year and noticed a few things that he didn't mention last year, in the first 1/5th of the haunt that didn't change at all.

Inspector: "I thought you said you didn't change anything in this section, this is certainly new! (Referring to a Distortions Gargoyle Shock)

Me: "You're starting to slip old man, not only was that here last year, it's been here for the last TWO years."

Inspector: "It really sucks getting old!"

He missed a particular extension cord that he wasn't happy with, two years in a row. It happens, a piece of camo netting came down, exposed the cord and he "caught us" on it. Was I intentionally trying to hide it, no. Was the cord fine for the load that was being applied to it, yes. Did I replace it anyhow because it took 10 minutes and made him happy? You're damn skippy I did.

As I said, we're on great terms with him, well enough that I we can joke around a bit during the walk through and then catch a smoke and BS in the parking lot after. Does that mean he lets things slide? No. But rather than him jumping down my throat about something, he says just get it fixed and it's done.

Our local building inspector walked through this year (not on the greatest of terms with him) and had my install a number of hardwired lit EXIT signs as well as additional emergency lights, as well as put up some directional arrows and plain old plastic "EXIT" signs throughout the rooms of the haunt. While the scenery and theme of the haunt changes year to year, the general patron flow does not. This hasn't been an issue for the last 8 years, but it was this year.

Between the two above inspectors, it cost us ~1000 in required things to fix it and I lost a day of time. But it's done, they are both satisfied and more importantly, the haunt is safer for the patrons and that is really what it is all about.

The point is, the inspectors, be them local, county or state, fire, amusement, electric or building, are the AHJ for your haunt. They make and enforce the rules. There is no reason to argue with them as more often than not, they have the authority to shut you down and then make your life hell next year.

Also keep in mind, while many times it sucks to have a mile long fix-it list and a few grand in repairs, the long and short of it is that it's safer for the patrons and that is all that matters.

I don't get all of the "ohs my gawd! My inspector sucks!", they're just doing their job, just as a LEO is doing his as he pulls you over for doing 25 over the speed limit.

We get inspected by four different inspections every year, local building, county fire, electrical and myself (state amusement attraction). You tend to learn what you inspector hates and what he likes. Do it his way and there are no issues.